The tour group was chosen because of their ability to reach broad audiences on social media. The Goddard Center houses NASA’s Atlas, short for Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System, and is the building site for the Global Ecosystem and Dynamics Investigation, or GEDI, satellite, which will use laser ranging to produce 3-D maps of Earth’s surface. Atlas launches in 2018 and GEDI in 2019.

“I’m the furthest thing from a NASA scientist, but I am passionate about space exploration, which is exactly what NASA is looking for in events like this – people who can help translate what they do into social media content that helps build public support for future missions,” Earnheardt said in a release.

Also as part of the visit, the department chairman will use virtual reality glasses to see NASA’s communication satellite network and see the laser ranging center for a demonstration of the technology in the GEDI satellite.

Copyright 2017 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.

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